THE ROLE OF SPACE IN NARRATIVE WITHIN THE CONTEXT OF LITERARY TOURISM: AN ANALYSIS ON AHMET UMIT’S MEMORY OF ISTANBUL

Abstract

This research focuses on the spatial representation in Ahmet Ümit’s İstanbul Hatırası while considering the potential of such spaces for literary tourism. This study adopts a qualitative research approach and engages in descriptive content analysis of the novel’s spatial imagery, character and space interrelations, and mentions of history. This analysis also spatially organizes the seven historical sites corresponding to the “seven days–seven murders” plotline of the novel, namely, Sarayburnu, Çemberlitaş, Yedikule, Hagia Sophia, Fatih Mosque, Topkapı Palace, and Süleymaniye, identifying and enumerating their “historical period,” “symbolic meaning,” and “tourism value.” Results show that space is not a passive setting; it functions as a semiotic manifestation of an investigation, channeling the flow of the narrative through signs and tokens. Furthermore, the interplay of closed and confining versus open and monumental spaces deline the affective contour of a scene. As anticipated within the literature on literary tourism, the narrative underscores the potential for establishing an operational literary route, a proposal made practical through the construct of “space–period–tourism value” as a design schematic. The ribbon emphasizes the importance of conservation in route management and the balance of carrying capacity, community involvement, and participatory feedback in route driven conservation. Limited perspectives of existing literature are tied to a single text and the lack of empirical data on tourists. Future research should concentrate on visitor studies in the field and the effects of augmented reality (AR)-enhanced guidance on educational outcomes.